Grow Chamomile For Tea- Relax. It’s Easy!
Are you looking for a relaxing and flavorful tea to add to your collection? Look no further than chamomile! Chamomile tea has a delicious and soothing flavor and boasts many health benefits, from improving sleep quality to reducing inflammation. And the best part? Growing chamomile plants is very easy and cheap as chips! In this article, we’ll explore why you should grow chamomile for tea and provide some helpful tips to get you started.
Chamomile Plants
Chamomile plants are popular herbs from the daisy family and are well-known for their medicinal properties. These pretty plants have small white delicate flowers with bright, happy yellow centers.
Chamomile plants will require full sun and well-drained soil.
Roman chamomile is a densely carpeted and low-growing cold hardy plant. Its feather-like leaves have an apple-like scent. German chamomile is an upright growing annual with fine feathery leaves. German and Roman chamomile are often confused with one another.
A Comparison of Roman Chamomile and German Chamomile
Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) and German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) are two species of chamomile plants that are often compared due to their similar appearance and popularity as herbal remedies. However, there are some notable differences between the two plants:
Appearance: Roman chamomile is a perennial plant that grows low to the ground, while German chamomile is an annual plant that can grow up to 3 feet tall. Roman chamomile has small, daisy-like flowers with white petals and yellow centers, while German chamomile has larger, daisy-like flowers with white petals and slightly raised, conical yellow centers.
Growing conditions: Roman chamomile prefers dry, well-draining soil and full sun, while German chamomile prefers moist, well-draining soil and partial shade.
Flavor: Roman chamomile has a sweet, fruity flavor, while German chamomile has a slightly bitter, apple-like taste.
Medicinal properties: Roman and German chamomile are often used as herbal remedies for various ailments. Roman chamomile is often used to promote relaxation and calm, relieve anxiety, and provide sleep aid. German chamomile often relieves pain and inflammation, aids digestion, and promotes wound healing.
Benefits of Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is a popular herbal tea made from the chamomile plant’s flowers. It has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties and is known for its calming and soothing effects. Here are some of the benefits of chamomile tea:
Reduces anxiety and promotes relaxation: Chamomile tea is known for its calming effects and can help reduce stress and promote relaxation.
Improves sleep: Chamomile tea can help enhance sleep quality and be especially beneficial for people with trouble falling asleep.
Relieves menstrual cramps: Chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory properties and can help relieve menstrual cramps and other menstrual symptoms.
Supports digestion: Chamomile tea can help soothe an upset stomach and relieve symptoms of indigestion, bloating, and gas.
Boosts immune system: Chamomile tea has antibacterial properties and can help boost the immune system, helping to fight off infections and illnesses.
Lowers inflammation: Chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation.
Relieves headaches: Chamomile tea can help relieve tension headaches and migraines. As a chronic migraine sufferer, a cup of tea doesn’t do it when you’re popping painkillers like Skittles to try to function for the day. Still, I wanted to put this here because studies purport the anti-inflammatory properties of chamomile can help headaches.
Lowers blood sugar levels: Chamomile tea can help lower blood sugar levels, making it beneficial for people with diabetes.
Promotes healthy skin: Chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can help promote healthy skin and reduce skin irritation.
Benefits of Growing Your Own Chamomile Plants
There are several benefits for you if you grow chamomile for tea in your own garden:
Cost-effective: Growing chamomile plants can be more cost-effective than buying chamomile tea from a store.
Freshness: Homegrown chamomile is fresher than store-bought chamomile, which can be important for getting the full health benefits of the plant.
Sustainability: Growing your chamomile plants can be more sustainable than buying tea from a store because it reduces the carbon footprint of transporting the tea.
Easy to grow: Chamomile is an easy herb, making it an excellent choice for beginners or those with limited gardening experience.
Access to a larger variety: Growing your chamomile plants gives you access to a broader array of chamomile plants than you might find in a store, such as Roman Chamomile and German Chamomile.
Chemical-free: Growing your chamomile plants ensures that you know precisely what has gone into growing them, making it easier to avoid pesticides and other chemicals that may be present in store-bought chamomile.
Control harvesting time: Growing your chamomile plants gives you more control over when and how you harvest your plants.
How to Grow A Chamomile Plant: Tips for Growing Chamomile from Seed
You only need a few simple steps to grow chamomile for tea from seed:
Chamomile Seeds: Choosing the Right Seeds for Your Garden
When choosing chamomile seeds, selecting a variety appropriate for your climate and growing conditions is important. Roman chamomile and German chamomile are the two most common chamomile seeds available.
Sowing Chamomile Seeds: Planting Your Seeds for Optimal Growth
Choose a location with well-draining soil and direct sun or partial shade to sow chamomile seeds. Sow the seeds directly into the soil and keep the soil moist until the seedlings emerge.
Chamomile Seedlings: Transplanting and Caring for Your Seedlings
Once the chamomile seedlings have emerged, thin them out to ensure they have enough space to grow. Transplant the seedlings to a location with well-draining soil and direct sunlight or partial shade.
Planting Chamomile: How to Plant Chamomile for Optimal Growth
Pick a location with well-draining soil and direct sun or partial shade when planting chamomile. Plant the chamomile seedlings at a depth of about 1/4 inch and water them regularly to keep the soil moist.
Environmental Requirements: Meeting the Needs of Your Chamomile Plants
Chamomile plants require moist soil and direct sunlight or partial shade to ensure optimal growth. Water the plants regularly to keep the soil moist and the plant happy. Be sure to choose a growing location where they will receive enough sunlight to thrive.
How and When to Harvest Chamomile For Tea: Tips for Picking The Freshest Flowers
To harvest chamomile flowers for the best-tasting tea, there are a few tips you need to know before you get started:
Pick chamomile flowers in the morning after the dew completely dries and when the flowers are fully open.
Gently pinch the stem below the flower head and twist it to detach the flower from the plant. Be sure to leave a few flowers on the plant for continued growth. You can also use a clean, sharp pair of scissors or pruners to snip off the flower heads.
How to Dry Chamomile Flowers: Preserving Your Harvest
One method for drying chamomile is to hang the flowers upside down in a well-ventilated area until completely dry. You must leave longer stems on the flowers to bundle them for hanging.
You can also use a low-temperature oven to dry your chamomile flowers. Place the flowers in a single layer on a baking sheet and dry them at 175F in a warm oven. Once the flowers are completely dry, remove the petals from the stems.
Homemade Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is easy to make, and you can use both dry and fresh flowers:
- Boil water: Heat water in a kettle or pot until it reaches a rolling boil.
- Add chamomile: If using dried chamomile flowers, place 1-2 teaspoons into a tea strainer or infuser. If using fresh chamomile flowers, add a handful to the infuser.
- Steep: Place the infuser or sieve into a cup and pour the hot water over it. Let the chamomile tea steep for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove infuser: After the chamomile has steeped, remove the infuser or strainer from the cup.
- Enjoy: Chamomile tea is delicious hot and cold. Add honey, lemon, rosemary, and fresh fruit like blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries to enhance the desired flavor.
Ever Considered Growing A Dedicated Tea Garden?
If you’re a tea lover, I bet you’ve thought of growing herbs and flowers for your brews at some point. It’s not as complicated as you think, and you can pull together a pretty impressive tea garden with a few easy-to-grow herbs and flowers, including chamomile.
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